This Is My Fate
by xxXMythiaXxx
Summary: Nanami was found murdered in a warehouse one day, leaving the STARISH members devastated. Without her, their music would never be the same. And so, with the help of the muses, Cecil had the ability to send a STARISH member one at a time into the past, where they can change Nanami's fate, though the choices they will have to face could result in the same death...
1. This Isn't Over!

**Mythia: Hello everyone! I am the one who has adopted ****_Kawaii Dream's_**** "This Is My Fate" fanfic, with her permission. If you'd like, this story can be adjusted so that you can vote on a different route than the original! I have the ideas for this story, and that's why I have wanted to get ahold of this story immediately.**

**Right now, there won't be any voting in this chapter. However, they're bound to come up! You're familiar with this story anyway!**

**Well, most of you. For the newcomers, you are welcome to read and 'figure out' the upcoming choices on your own. Past readers, I hope you don't spoil anything for those others! Well, do whatever! XD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything! Not even this story (so far)! XP Though, the other ideas in the nearby future will possibly be mine.**

* * *

"_Recently, the composer for the boyband STARISH, Nanami Haruka, was found dead..._"

STARISH was frozen, their minds attempting to process the information plastered on the TV screen.

Unable to fend off the trauma, a small man with blonde hair and wide blue eyes screamed, his knees on the ground.

His voice was filled with hatred and confusion. His eyes began to fill with tears, unable to stop nor fall, his hat dropping to the ground.

"Syo-chan..." A tall man with yellow hair and glasses tried to comfort the small blonde, patting his head. The boy with the red clips already falling off the side of his head just looked down and cried.

"_...Her body was found in a small warehouse..._"

The members were deadly silent.

Ichinose Tokiya took the TV remote and turned off the television with his hands shaking. Heck, his whole body was trembling.

The room's atmosphere could be depicted as depressing, saddening, pitiful, or far from those words. The only thing heard were the muffled cries of Syo, and Ittoki, who was starting to realize what just happened, started to shake as well.

"No...no! **NO!**" Syo cried, denying the facts before him.

Jingugi Ren was torn apart from words, his mouth suddenly dry and his icy blue eyes wide. "...Little lamb...she's—"

"**DON'T! JUST DON'T SAY IT!**" Masato yelled, standing up vexedly from his seat.

This surprised them all, for Hijirikawa Masato was usually a calm and collected person, but who could possibly be calm in this alarming situation?

The blue-haired man's tears were locked up like an eternal prison on his stinging eyes, as Nanami Haruka, the greatly loved and appreciated rose-haired honey-eyed composer, was in the eternal prison of death...or was it heavenly freedom for her?

"If only we have found her! None of this would've happened!" Ittoki Otoya cried, his tears spilling to the floors of the Master Course dorms.

Hearing this, Masato's tears had painfully been set free, as he collapsed on the floor.

Ren knew that this wasn't his call to speak, as he stood there silent.

"Nanami...**NANAMI!**" Ittoki continued to shout, the tears continuously flowing. He buried his face in his sweaty palms, soaking in the tears. It was all just a wet mess for them.

How could such a kind-hearted, innocent girl just _die_ like this? So painfully, so heart breaking...

Of all people, it had to be her. But _why_? _Why_?!

"_No_...this can't be true..." Tokiya muttered under his breath. His expression was dark and twisted. He was in pain as well as the others, just trying his hardest to keep the overwhelming feelings inside.

"Guys...we don't have the time to be sad. We have to go save our precious Haruka. NOW." Aijima Cecil got up and spoke in a strong voice.

Everyone looked up at him, angered at this to so much extent that Syo stomped his foot and stood up. "It's too late to help! She's gone!" he crossly shouted, all burning down like flames.

"No!" Cecil yelled back. "The muses have sent me a message. They told me that without Nanami, our music will never shine again! And thus, they want to change her fate. We must go back in time and save her life!"

He was determined to save Nanami no matter what it takes. The others were no different.

"...You mean we can still save Nanami?" Tokiya whispered.

Everyone had stop weeping. Their attention completely on Cecil.

He nodded. "The muses have decided to help us reclaim our radiance by giving us a chance to save Haruka," he explained. "This necklace is now able to send one person at a time back to the time when Haruka was not yet kidnapped."

Cecil held up the now brightly shining necklace.

"That means all of us will be able to go back to the past, but one at a time only. We can stay in the past for 3 hours max, and you will be warped back here. We can all save Haruka! We can prevent her death! We will fight her fate!" Cecil determinedly spoke, his voice wavering but held strong.

He had confidence they would be able to save the beautiful and kind Nanami Haruka.

"But remember this: Each person is only allowed 3 trips back in time. So use your time wisely. So, are you with me?"

Everyone hesitated, then nodded their heads. Their tears were still stained on their faces, but the determination on their faces was no mistake.

"**I will save Nanami...I swore to myself that I would protect her!**" Kurusu Syo had meant to kept that promise of protection of the girl who had shared his passions. He was her protector. He didn't want her to fall to her death like it had nearly before.

"**W****ait for me, my Princess Haruka! I won't let you leave us alone!**" Aijima Cecil, the one who gave the rest of them the smallest of hope, never wanted to leave his princess. For as long as he lived, he had hoped that his composer would forever be making music by his side.

"**Little Lamb, stay strong and wait for me. I shall save you, for you are the beat of my heart.**" Jingugi Ren had felt that he needed the same girl who had changed his entire view of music, and he couldn't live without that smiling little lamb, still giving him the most unexpected of surprises.

"**Haru-chan! I will make sure you live a happy and peaceful life!**" Shinomiya Natsuki, despite being cheerful, had known that his composer died too young, and he had only wanted the best for her. So he wasn't ready to give her away to kami-sama. Not yet.

"**Nanami-san...please don't die on me again. I will do my best to prevent your death.**" Ichinose Tokiya was torn, seeing the girl he cared about dearly dead before he knew it. Not only has her music died, it was like his view—no, _STARISH's_ view on hopeful, happy music had died.

"**Nanami, I will see your smile again and everyone else!**" Ittoki Otoya, the energetic and positive person, had vowed to keep smiling with his composing friend he loved with all of his heart. He was on full-throttle now, with the peace sign ready to make that special rosette giggle again. How he missed her already.

"**Nanami****...we're coming to save you from your eternal prison.**" After the feeling of tears never wanting to leave, Hijirikawa Masato wanted the same for Nanami Haruka. She should've never left her life, and instead should've stayed with her singing princes until the peaceful end of her life from age.

Each and every one of the guys believed that they will bring Haruka back, even if it could cost them their lives.

"Okay, everyone. We shall begin traveling tomorrow. Perhaps this is the perfect time to make some plans that could save Haruka," Cecil said. "But remember...you only have 3 chances. Failure is not an option. Princess Haruka's life is now in our hands."

"You don't have to repeat that twice. I am going to protect Nanami. I had failed to do so before..." Syo was not crying anymore, nor was he smiling.

He was full of determination.

"Ochibi—no, Kurusu is right. We must save her. Not only her, but ourselves. Without her, there is no us," Ren finally spoke up again. Everyone stared at him, shocked.

"Did you just..." Syo's jaw was dropped.

"What? Is that something that I would usually not say?" He laughed slightly. Everyone nodded in agreement. "Then you better start getting used to it, because I don't plan on stopping." Ren was smirking, like his usual self...if the situation didn't call for it.

Though, he had made the mood slightly better. It had made everyone smile.

"Alright; it's planning time! I'm going back to my room," Otoya announced, walking out of the room.

"I guess I have to go with him...see you later." Tokiya followed Otoya out.

"Yeah, they're right! Let's go plan, Syo-chan!" Natsuki dragged Syo out of the room, despite his protests.

"...Let's go." Masato left the room. Ren followed him silently.

"..." Cecil didn't want to go to his room, he enjoyed the outdoors more.

He went to the rose garden outside and thought about some ideas. The cold air of the night made him feel refreshed. He looked up at the fully lit moon.

"Wait for us, Nanami. We will bring you back home soon," he whispered to the sky, more like the Heavens.

The stars in the sky shined brighter in response. As he began to walk back into the mansion, he heard a faint girl's voice.

"Good luck, Cecil. Come back safely..."

He turned back, but all he saw was a white mist that disappeared into the air. "What was that?" he asked out loud to no one in particular.

He took his necklace in his palm and squeezed it, thinking it was one of the muses wishing him luck. The foreign prince smiled to himself, and quietly walked back into the mansion and into his room.

* * *

**Mythia: I have mostly changed the beginning, because I couldn't copy/paste this story. However, _Kawaii Dream_ was so kind enough to PM me the chapters so far, so that it was pretty much the same towards the middle (I think)! I am ever so grateful for her (I strongly think that she's a girl), and hope to see her make a comeback on her standing UtaPri fanfics!**

**I'm trying to mimic the original writing style, since I admire it very much, and added a but of my style in it as well.**

**For some reason, I keep smelling apples at 3:45 AM. XP Silly me.**

**Written On: 6/2/14.**

******Thank you for reading, and if you haven't already, please support _Kawaii Dream_ and her fanfics! :) Oh! And please review, and be honest. I will take any form of criticism, and I'm a modest person so compliments are...ehe. *blushes***


	2. Ittoki Otoya

**Mythia: Thank you for your favorites/follows/reviews! I'm glad that there are people out there who are supporting me with this fanfic, and since there was an original, this version might be easier to update. :)**

**There was a reviewer who asked if this was a 'Choose Your Own Adventure' story, and yes it is! The votes can be going in~! I wonder if you're going to choose the same choice or a different one...hehehe...**

**Note: This was updated quickly because I really want to go with the voting~! KYAA~!**

* * *

It was a normal, regular morning, right?

Wrong.

It was the morning after Nanami Haruka had died. All of the guys had created plans to save Haruka when going back to the past, and one mere failure would mean a possible death for Haruka again.

What if only one guy failed, and instead of dying by being kidnapped and murdered, it was changed into a different death like being drowned or hanged? Maybe that one failure could save her life, for if they succeeded, she could have died.

This was a gamble with life and death, success or failure. Haruka's fate could maybe even be unchangeable. One guy may even end up dead in place of Nanami's death.

But you never know unless you try, right? Besides that, the members of STARISH were undoubtedly willing to do anything to save their princess, to be that knight in shining armor for her.

Through only determination and hopeful wishes, the guys will go back in time one at a time today.

So yeah, this was _definitely _not a regular morning at all.

It was the morning the first time traveler will travel through time. This was the morning that will show everyone if the first travel was successful or a failure.

But then, how would ANYONE know what they do in the past was a success or failure? This was an unanswerable question, never to be answered.

Nanami Haruka's fate was now in the hands of STARISH.

* * *

**Ittoki Otoya**

"I...I want to go first!" the redhead exclaimed.

The STARISH members were gathered at the lobby, discussing who should be the first to go to the past. They all had stopped their conversation and stared at the usually cheerful and easygoing boy, surprised that her wanted to go first.

Nobody wanted to go first, it was always likely to be the failed mission because there was no information on where Nanami was _before_ she was killed.

There was also no information on why she was kidnapped. The murderer had ran away, not getting caught.

It irked Ittoki to think that someone who killed Nanami had ran away, still living in this world and never to be found.

He clenched his hand into a fist and put on a determined look on his face, despite the fear still dwelling within.

"I...I won't forgive the person who killed Nanami!" Ittoki shouted. "I want to go first and find out where Nanami was before she was killed! I...w-want to see Nanami's smile again..." He felt his red eyes water, but he feverishly wiped them away.

_I am brave_, he thought. _I...believe I can save Nanami. I am confident._

The guys looked at Ittoki with satisfied expressions. "Otoya, you're a good guy. I know you can save Nanami," Syo said to him for encouragement.

The I in STARISH felt his confidence grow as everyone nodded in agreement at Syo's statement.

_I can do it. __I need to believe. __I know I can save her. __I know it. _He repeated words of encouragement in his head.

"Then, it's settled. Otoya, come here. I shall cast a spell using this necklace and make you go back to the past," Cecil instructed.

Ittoki furrowed his brows. A part of him didn't want to go, and he was aware of that side. Yet, it was Nanami Haruka he was saving. He needed her. It was like a part of him was missing when he saw that devastating murder on that TV.

He walked over to Cecil obediently and stood in front of him. He began chanting something. "O, muses, I ask for your magical powers, send Ittoki Otoya to the time before Nanami Haruka was cruelly murdered! Help us change her fate! ENCHANTO TIME!" (**Mythia: Yes...'enchanto time.' I know. Go ahead and laugh already.**) As soon as Cecil finished his sentence, a bright light enveloped Ittoki.

The last words he heard from Cecil were, "Remember; after 3 hours, you'll be warped back here...Good luck." The redhead closed my eyes and waited for any kind of physical impact.

Yet, he didn't feel anything. So he opened his eyes slowly, hoping that everything would be normal. Then, he saw that he was in my Master Course bedroom.

Thank God, everything was normal.

Wait, what day was it today?

He scrambled quickly to his calendar, and it read: May 29, 2013. The day Nanami died was May 31, 2013. This was 2 days before her kidnapping and murder!

Where was she now?

Ittoki ran out the door frantically, dashing down the long hallways of the building. Since it was 4:00PM, Nanami was somewhere in the Master Course mansion, since she was always back from whatever her business was by 3:30PM. _Wait, talking about business...she's been leaving and coming back everyday from 9:00AM to 3:30PM since the beginning of the week, _Ittoki thought suspiciously.

At first, he thought it was just some work or maybe she went to compose her songs in a peaceful place, but now that he thought about it carefully, it was undeniably suspicious. He had to ask her about it and get some useful information to the guys!

Ittoki searched the mansion high and low, right to left, ceiling to floor, every nook and cranny, until he found her in the deepest and concealed part of the rose garden.

She was snooping around in there, holding her phone to her ear and speaking quietly to the person on the other line. Ittoki had gotten as close as he could, trying to not get caught but to be on earshot.

Trying to get some hopefully helpful evidence, he took out his phone, which was luckily in his pocket, and began to record the conversation.

"...Please, don't hurt them...do anything for you...as long as you keep your promise..." It was hard to hear, and the teen only heard chunks of the conversation.

Nanami hung up her phone, and just as Ittoki began to scramble away from the place...his phone rang. He saw her turn around with an alarmed look, a look he had never seen her wear before. She looked terrified, as if frightened to the bone.

Had she worn that face of vulnerability before? If that's true, then how come Ittoki had never seen if before? Why...did she have to hide it by covering them with her smiles?

"W-Who's there!?" Nanami was shaking like she was in a nightmare, and looked around. Before she could see the hiding redhead, Ittoki ran and ducked into a rose bush, rushing to turn off his blaring phone. But it wouldn't stop! He couldn't break the phone to pieces because of the conversation he had recorded between Haruka and the stranger.

He heard her footsteps come closer...and closer. _This is it, huh? I'm busted__, _Ittoki thought with a frown.

Nanami blinked when she saw him, looking up tentatively at her. "I-Ittoki-kun?!" she yelped.

"N-Nanami..." To say the least, his heart filled with happiness to see her face to face again. But to think that she'd die in a few days...it ruined the nice, warm feeling.

"D-Did you hear anything!?" Her honey golden eyes that he always admired were full of alarm and she was still shaking, which made him feel conflicted inside.

Should he tell her the truth? If he did, would this affect whether she lived or died?

A simple truth or lie answer could determine her fate.

It scared him to death thinking that what his answer here could make her die, or live.

He had to take the chance. He had to answer soon.

_Should I tell her that I heard the conversation and be honest?_ Ittoki wondered frantically._ Or should I lie and say I was just taking a stroll in the rose garden and was just passing by?_

* * *

**Mythia: PLEASE READ!**

**I know, most of you, if not _all_ of you, know the bad ending to this one because you had chosen the bad ending in the original. But ****I'm in charge of this story, so perhaps you don't know the bad ending because I may or may not have changed it! **

**Lying is bad, you know! But the truth sometimes hurts!**

_**Here are the choices. You can either get Ittoki Otoya to:**_

_**A) Lie to his precious Nanami he'd feel guilty about forever and ever (unless this is the good ending)!**_

_**O**__**R**_

_**B) Tell the truth and face the possibly bad outcome to this~!**_

**Ittoki never did lie in the anime, did he? Neither in the manga. I wonder about the game, hm?**

**I'm in charge of this story, so perhaps you don't know the bad ending because I may or may not have changed it! Lying is bad, you know! But the truth sometimes hurts!**

**So...what's it gonna be? Tell me in your reviews! ****I'm anxiously waiting, nya~!**

**P.S. I have two pictures for this story: One of them shows that you have chosen the 'good' ending, while the other one is the 'bad' ending pic.**

**Written on: 6/5/14**


	3. Confessing The Truth

**Mythia: Hm...okay some of them didn't even vote, aha. And one of them I was torn between lie or truth...but then in the end of the review it said truth, so...**

**The majority is truth~!**

**Well then, I'll say it now. Lying is BAD, but the truth sometimes HURTS.**

**Oh ho ho...**

* * *

_Previously on 'This Is My Fate':_

_"W-Who's there?! I-Ittoki-kun!?"_

_"Nanami..."_

_"D-D-Did you hear anything?!"_

_Alarming golden eyes met conflicted red ones. Was Ittoki going to lie, or tell the truth?_

* * *

Ittoki held his breath. "Well I uh, um..." _Argh! What am I doing!? I can't lie to Nanami! _"I…I did hear you. B-But before you say anything," he suddenly said, causing Haruka's open mouth to whimper, "I…barely did. I couldn't hear that much. I'm sorry, I really, really didn't mean to! I really, really didn't!"

He was speaking so fast that Haruka could barely concentrate on the facts. When she did, she tried her best to breathe. She tugged on Ittoki's arm. "Ittoki-kun, it's not safe to talk out here." She added in a small whisper, "Or anywhere…"

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Ittoki-kun, let's talk in my room," Haruka mumbled lowly, Ittoki barely catching.

"I…uh, oh. M-mm!" The redhead nodded his head.

When the two entered Haruka's room, Haruka bolted the door shut, and closed her drapes, leaving the room dark except for a sliver of light from the bathroom, the door almost closed. She sat on the bed, Ittoki coming along. "Nanami?"

"Please speak quietly," she whispered, pulling him to sit down. Ittoki yelped at such a cold touch, meaning that Nanami's hands were _freezing_.

From all the times Otoya had touched her hands, like a long time ago from Saotome Gakuen where she bandaged his wounded fingers, he had never found her hands cold once. It was always, always warm. Even in the snow when they first met.

When they first met…

Is this their last meeting? If so, Ittoki wished he could trap this time he had with Haruka in an endless loop. Even if it was boring, or scary, or anything, he'd endure it for the one he loved. Besides, he's doing it for STARISH, for everyone!

"Nanami," he whispered, "what's going on?"

"Just…p-please know that this is for your own good," Nanami said quietly. "I can't tell you everything Ittoki-kun. But I just want to say that what I'm doing right now is to protect you. STARISH…"

Ittoki cupped Nanami's cold cheek, only to find burning tears flowing down. "I thought that we could tell each other anything."

"Well, if you understood this, then you'd do the same thing," Nanami barely uttered, choking from her sobs.

Otoya's hand moved on its own, both hands cupping her small face. Nanami's eyes widened, looking up at him before head-diving to his chest. "I'm just trying to protect you guys!" she exclaimed, startling Ittoki. "I love all of you, and care for all of you. I just hope...no, that's too much. I _wish_ that I could stay with you forever. But I…"

"…You?"

"I just can't," she cried. "I can't! I'm so sorry…"

"But WHY?" Ittoki began to shout. "Nanami, you're not making any sense!"

Haruka looked up, her eyes reddening. "I'll tell you one word. But just one. If I say anything else…" She bit her lip. "_Saizo_."

Ittoki furrowed his brows. "Saizo?"

"Shh! Please don't say it now, here! Just after…"

"Wait! You're…you're _planning_ to die, aren't you?! So that was suicide instead of murder!?"

"H-Huh?" The tables swtiched, and now Haruka was unbearably perplexed.

Otoya huffed. "Arghhhh!" He pulled on his hair, frustrated. "Nanamiiiii! Why can't I say this so easily?!"

"S-Say what?"

"Nanami!" He forced his hands on her shoulders, "Ai shiteru! Please don't leave on me, on us! Live until the end!"

Haruka had no words. Ittoki just confessed to her, going so far as 'I love you.' And right when she tried to hide her feelings for their sake! Oh, how she already felt that stomach knot inside of her, barely containing the butterflies. Yet...

The rosette was now cupping Ittoki's cheek, her hands warming from Ittoki's blush, and she leaned forward. "Ittoki-kun...it'll hurt, but this is my fate," she said. "Everyone dies. It'll be my turn, but I just want you to know something."

She leaned forward, giving Ittoki a chaste kiss, saying, "Ai shiteru. And remember...music lives in you. My music...please keep it and continue to spread it with that full-throttle smile and a peace sign." Her tears were no longer hot, but just warm, of bittersweet happiness.

"At least I have met you, Ittoki-kun. I'm thankful, and happy."

Ittoki wanted this to last forever. But before he knew it, he looked and felt translucent. _Remember, you can only stay in the past for three hours_…

_No...no! NO! NO NO NO!_ Ittoki repeated angrily in his mind. "Nanami!" He kissed her lips one final time, hugging her as tight as he could, before he was completely gone.

* * *

Ittoki was back into the present, May 31st. Well, even though he had such a heartwarming moment with Nanami, he knew he hadn't saved her. He knew she was dead.

The door opened, and Ittoki realized that he was on his bed, and it was Tokiya who opened it. "Eh? You…you're back?"

Otoya frowned. "Yeah…I guess I am."

"You didn't save her," the blunet quietly said. "The mission failed."

"No...this time, she died in peace," Ittoki said, causing Ichinose to raise a brow. "She said something with wanting to protect us, and we exchanged words. She told us to move on, keep singing for her, for everyone, and I told her to live until the end."

"Well the end of her life was apparently too soon," Ichinose said, irked. "Nanami still died."

"I know, and I still want to save her," said a determined Ittoki Otoya. "I love her!"

Tokiya blinked in surprise at the sudden outburst. Sometimes, he envied the happy redhead at how straightforward he came to be. While his realizations come late, and it'd take forever for him to confess to Nanami, and then Ittoki just comes in and sweeps Nanami off his feet.

He frowned. "Did you at least get any evidence of the murderer?"

"Huh? Oh yeah!" Ittoki pulled out his phone. "Let's go get everyone."

When STARISH had gathered somewhere in the Master Course dorms, Ittoki played the recorded message. It gave out more than what he had heard, he realized.

"_I beg you, p__lease don't hurt them_…_I'll do anything for you! As long as you keep your promise._"

"That's odd," Cecil muttered. "Do you know who she was speaking with, Otoya?"

"No, but I may have a clue," he said, causing STARISH to perk up. "Nanami and I talked, after she busted me spying on her. She said a name, 'Saizo.'"

Ren narrowed his eyes. "Saizo? Sounds like a man."

"It does," Masato had to agree. "Very suspicious."

"It's a high possibility that was who Nanami was talking to," Syo said.

"Maybe he was the guy that killed Haru-chan!" gasped Natsuki, squeezing Syo worriedly.

"Well, we can't just jump into conclusions now," Cecil said. "Otoya, tell us everything that happened."

Ittoki began to explain that he woke up in his room, searching for about an hour and a half. Then, he said how he found Nanami in the deepest part of the rose garden, and when he recorded her phone conversation. How he got busted, and ended up in Nanami's room. The only thing he left out was the fact that she has kissed him, and he kissed her. And the all cuddly part, he realized was embarrassing and left out too.

"And that's all," finished Ittoki.

"Haruka, our princess destined to die," Aijima sighed. "Well then, with all of this, Saizo is our primary suspect, and we obviously can't dismiss him."

"The first kanji means 'genius,'" Masato said. "The second means either 'possession' or 'warehouse.' Nanami-san was found dead in a warehouse, right?"

"So she's saying that we should check the warehouse the second time?" Syo asked, slightly confused.

"We should remember that," Ichinose said.

"Well then, we have to know who's next," Cecil announced.

Ittoki glanced around. All but Syo seemed very hesitant, he noticed. "Um, I think Syo should be next," he spoke up.

"W-Wha? Why me?" Kurusu asked.

"I think it seems right," Ittoki reasoned. "Minna-san, if Syo agrees, then we should send him!"

Syo made the 'WTH' face, still not believing this, until one by one, all of the STARISH members had agreed it had to be the shota. "Oh, what the heck now guys? Why me?"

"You seemed pumped, Ochibi," comcluded Jingugi.

"S-Shut up! Fine, I'll try to save Nanami you chickens!" Syo exclaimed, giving in. "I can only stay for three hours, right?"

"Yes, that's right," said Cecil, casting the enchantment.

Syo held his breath, waiting for the arriving impact of being sent to the past. He wondered if he could really be the one to save Haruka, after the not-too-failure of Ittoki. So this wasn't going to be too easy, and it certainly wasn't simple, but…

If this was Nanami Haruka they were saving, they always found a way.

* * *

**Mythia: So, the truth SOMETIMES hurts! Well, sometimes it pays off! But Haruka still died. But we got a kiss! 2 kisses, even! But sorry if this was too short for you (it is for me) or that you were angry that this didn't go too far.**

**So, PLEASE READ!**

**Congrats, you have gotten the good ending to the first one! 'Confessing the Truth.'**

**I hope you liked this chapter, because there are more to come! **

**Please review too: constructive criticism is welcomed, I'm okay with those things if it makes me improve into a better writer! :)**

**Btw, you probably noticed that I changed this version from _Kawaii Dream_'s. This was the idea I had in mind as I was reading her original story a while back, kinda angry that I wanted him to tell the truth too, aha…  
**

**EDITED on 6/13/14**


	4. Kurusu Syo

**Mythia: Despite the lesser reviews than the original, I am very happy nonetheless for the new support I'm receiving and the kind words you all have! Well, there _was_ that review from what Threya Midnight said was a 'Kawaii Dream fan poser,' (I'll quote this, she said 'copycat...' and signed her account name on the bottom, leaving me pretty upset) and to say Threya-san was pissed, well, I'm going to assume that she was just annoyed, or a bit ticked off.**

**That's funny to me actually, because instead of being mad like most people would be (take Threya-san as an example), I was PMing Kai-chan (Kawaii Dream), quickly apologizing. Though, she didn't reply back, and that's why I had a feeling that it _wasn't_ her and just a fan poser. Then, she assured me that it wasn't her when I started to freak out.**

******So anyway, thank you all for your kind words and the supportive impression it brings! I'm glad there are people out there who likes my stories (honestly, they suck). Unless you're all...robots. There was that guest named Ai. O_o Whoa... *looking at nothing***

**Alright then! Enjoy the canon(ish) chapter below!**

* * *

As Syo opened his eyes, adjusting to the newfound light, he quickly checked his phone, switching to the current date: May 31st. Otherwise known as the day of Nanami's death. Scrolling on some things, Syo's eyes peered over the time of 4:00 PM...

Wait, that meant that Nanami was to die in three hours, and that was the length of the blonde's stay. Realizing this quickly, Kurusu Syo dashed out to the door to Nanami's room. Not finding her there, he heard dainty footsteps above him and took a lucky yet sloppy guess that it was the rosette and ran down halls to find the elevator.

His heart was beating fast, his eyes trying to stay alert of his surroundings. Any sign of sunset orange or yellow eyes might as well have set the blonde off then and there. _Doki doki doki!_

_DOKI DOKI DOKI,_ his heart had pounded over and over again inside, his breath almost gasping when he slammed his fist on the elevator...which was too slow.

_D*IT!_ he shouted in his head. _Stairs it is!_

And off Syo went, rushing not to far to the staircase.

Descending down to the 1st floor, Nanami was just about to go somewhere. She was wearing her casual, everyday clothes, holding up a small bag with nothing but her wallet and phone in it.

"Nanami! Where are you going?" Syo shouted across the hall. She paused for a moment, and then looked over at him, the color of her skin going paler than it already was.

Then she smiled, obviously fake. "I-I was just about to go buy some books," she stuttered in reply.

Syo was not going to let Haruka to be alone anytime soon. He was not allowing it one bit. "Can I come with you? I also wanted to drop by the bookstore," he lied, needing to watch her and protect her.

Haruka's eyes flickered left, right, up, down, her mouth slightly open for an excuse. "Uhm...I really just want to go alone, Syo-kun. Thank you anyway!" She hastily and nervously ran out the exit.

Syo stood there, thinking fast. _I__f I follow her, she'll probably just take a different route to the place she really going to, and run away from me_, he thought. _After all, I know she's probably heading towards the small warehouse, the place where her body was found._

He shivered at the thought. _I'll...I'll just secretly follow her around. That should be the safest way to this._

By the time Syo had made up his mind, Nanami was far past the door. So, acting fast, he ran as silently as he could.

* * *

It was still faintly light outside, the sunlight still visible. But it was almost dark, so by 7:00PM, the time of Nanami's death, it'd be completely dark where Syo was secretly following the composer to an abandoned street. Somehow, he managed to find the anxious girl, looking very suspicious, walking around with her eyes glancing at her surroundings.

She kept walking along the dark street, the time as Syo checked on phone was nearly six. Was he really walking for that long? That was perhaps two hours long, and yet it didn't even feel real. His legs weren't tired one bit, his eyes were sharp and attentive, and his brain wasn't registering the time facts, that his time was up in a little more than an hour.

The tall buildings blocked the small amount of sunlight that was barely lighting the way, so it made the street look creepier, he noted. There was not a person in sight, and the houses were old, looking haunted in a way. Despite all of the signs of why she shouldn't be walking down this street, and especially when it's almost night, Nanami kept walking with a brave yet...different look on her face, Syo also realized and mentally took note of.

Syo was hiding behind trashcans and light posts, even behind the dusty and unusable cars. Then, Nanami stopped at a fork in the road. Looking both ways, she took the right path, which looked even more eerie than the left.

On the left road, it was the exit out of the dark place, Syo quickly noticed. There were little bits of sunlight hitting the road, but Nanami still went the other way.

This wasn't even the way to the book shop.

Despite having near no balls at the moment, Syo tried to follow, his eyes struggling to adjust to the darkness. Eventually, his eyes laid upon a small building near him, where Haruka was walking to.

It was the small warehouse.

Intaking a shaky breath, Syo followed Haruka inside the place, his eyes well adjusted to the dark.

It was an abandoned warehouse, many holes in the rotting wood that barely supported the roof. The ground, also made out of wood, made lots of creaking noises when you stepped on a certain spot. Syo tried his best to stay quiet, avoiding stepping on breakable wood. The place was dusty and smelly, giving Syo the urge to gag, sneeze, and cough all at the same time. And leaving of course.

The place was giving off scary vibes. Syo tried to control his breathing, which he realized was pretty heavy.

_Spiderwebs are everywhere_, Syo thought. _It looks like there could be rats living here too_...

Nanami calmly walked through the place, not minding the smell, noise, or surroundings. Before Syo knew it, the composer stopped in front of a beat-up, old wooden door. Then, she spoke up loudly, her voice shaking. "M-Master Saizo, I have arrived."

_Master Saizo...? WAIT A MINUTE!_ Syo fished out in his memory what Ittoki was saying.

"Ah, Haruka, I've been expecting you. Come in," a dark, deep voice replied from inside the room. _W-What the h* is this!?_ Syo crossly thought in his mind.

She took the door knob in her hand hesitantly, then she shook her head and opened the door. The door responded with a creaking noise, which also sent more dust towards the place Syo was hiding in. Hiding behind a dusty yet concealable velvet curtain, the blonde kept a close eye on what he was seeing.

A gold light shone from the other side of the room, the one where Nanami just stepped in. She pushed the door behind her in attempt to close it, but Syo ran quietly towards the door and held it gently. This allowed him to see the scene at a safe enough spot.

Syo peeked inside, and the first thing he noticed was that everything in the room was shining a gold color because, well...

Everything _was_ made of gold. (Cue deadpan)

In the middle of the room, there was a golden throne. A man with gray-white hair and an outfit that looked like he was royalty, sat on that throne. He was wearing a golden mask, so I could not see his eyes or face.

"Haruka, come to your Master," Saizo said loudly and grandly, gesturing her to come by waving his index finger back and forth seductively.

Syo could not see the expression of Nanami's face, since she was facing the other direction, but she meekly said, "Yes, Master Saizo," and walked towards him. Saizo then grabbed her arm when she was near him, making her lose her balance and she fell into his lap.

When Syo saw the look on Nanami's face, red and flushed in utter surprise, he couldn't think between being angry or shocked. Maybe both, but it pissed him off either way.

Saizo grabbed Haruka's chin, making her face him. Then, he took off his mask, and kissed her so forcefully, yet the rosette easily gave in.

He was still covering his face, though, along with Haruka's with his mask. Then, it shocked him to no end, his blood boiling and his stomach flipping at the sound of a _moan_ escape from the girl.

That was something Nanami never did in front of anyone. Anyone except for HIM. This just lead Syo to many more questions.

_What is this!? Is this some joke? Who is this man? Is he Nanami's lover? Is that why Nanami pretends she doesn't notice Jingugi flirting with her, or any of the advancements of all of us STARISH!?_

_THIS IS AN OUTRAGE. He's gonna die in my eyes once I—_

Then, Saizo put his mask back on, and pulled out a knife.

With the sharp knife, he held it at Haruka's neck. Nanami let out a little yelp as the cold knife touched her warm neck. "You've been a good girl, Haruka," Saizo chuckled darkly, "so my reward to you is death. You were a fun toy, but now I need a new one." Saizo laughed, not because anything funny was happening, but because he seemed to enjoy killing people.

_The nerve this sadist b*$t*d is!_ Syo internally raged.

Nanami had a frightened expression, her eyes shaking, her pupils shrinking smaller, as her honey golden eyes widened in fear. "M-Master Saizo! Please, d-don't do this! I thought we had a deal!" Nanami said, but her voice was shaking and she was stuttering helplessly.

"Aw, you want to live longer? Okay, I'll give you a slow and painful death," Saizo smiled and moved the knife he was holding across Nanami's skin, creating a visible red line of blood.

Nanami opened her mouth, almost like she was screaming, but no voice came out. It was too painful that her desperate screams could not be heard. _This...!_ Syo was more than alarmed at this point.

If this keeps up, Nanami would die, he knew well.

_Argh! I need to do something, quick! C-Chotto (wait)...if I go in there, what would happen?_

Nanami was there, her death door right there. Her fingers grazed the door for only a second, but the door didn't slip past her fingers. It inched closer and closer, the darker it was up close, and Nanami was unwillingly stuck...unless Syo had some way to save her.

_If I choose to stay here and watch, what would happen!? I need to think, and fast!_

_Should I go, barge into the room, and help her, risking my life?_

_Or should I stay here and watch her be harmed, most likely killed?_

* * *

****PLEASE READ****

**Mythia: Well then...much yet not much has happened. I have changed many words in this chapter to make the choices harder. Of course, I don't want to point it out! XD**

**So, which do _YOU_ pick? Will Syo:**

**A) Barge into the room and attempt to save Nanami, whose death is possibly seconds away**

**OR**

**B) Stay behind, concealed, watching Nanami's possible death**

**Indeed, I HAVE changed the ending chapter for Ittoki, even though the voting results were the same as the original. HOWEVER, that does NOT mean that I'll change the ending to this one. Perhaps I won't. Or will I?**

**HEHEHE.**

**Just remember this: Saizo has a knife on Nanami's neck. What would happen if Syo did nothing? What if he did something?  
**

**_Please_ vote in your review! I'll be anxiously waiting to write the next chapter!**


	5. One Beating Heart, One Smitten Soul

**Mythia: Hello! I love all of your support, seriously! You guys are awesome, thank you~!**

**I must apologize though for my absence in FF, I had 'Prince of Tennis' episodes to watch. It's my new obsession. $_$ My eyes are literally glued onto my laptop, watching Eng Subs. So sorry about my laziness.**

**The votes are in! Arigatou, hontoni desu (Thank you, really)! The answer is...**

**A! Because of you, Kurusu Syo feels the urge to rush in the room and save Haruka from the mysterious Saizo in the secret golden warehouse! Though, you might want to think this through...**

**Or not. XD**

**Enough blabbering, on with ze story~! **

* * *

Kurusu Syo was starting to get frustrated. He didn't even know what the heck he was is suffering in there! She will die if this keeps up!

_I have to go in and save her! _That was his final decision.

Syo put his hand on the door handle, yanked it down, and pushed the door open so forcefully, the whole building shook and creaked for a bit.

The man with the mask, Saizo, looked up. So did Nanami, who frightfully squeaked, "S-Syo-kun...!" Her eyes were pleading him to leave, making him wonder intensely. "Syo-kun, go! Run away!"

"No, Nanami! I _came_ here to save you! Please, understand that I came here for you!" Syo shouted, glaring at the amused-looking Saizo.

No way in hell was Syo going to lose Haruka again to that...that _Saizo_.

A smirk played on the masked man's lips. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? Kurusu Syo from the petty boy band, STARISH? I'm honored that you came to visit us!" Saizo laughed with the knife still at Nanami's neck, irking Syo by the minute.

"I don't give a d*mn about your 'jokes'! Let go of Nanami, _now_!" Syo continued to shout, his voice echoing through the dark warehouse. For barely a second, Syo was surprised at his bellowing voice, since he had forgotten that gold was surrounding him instead of wood.

Saizo smirked. "Oh? What has gotten you to think you can make me do that?" He pressed the knife back on Nanami's neck with his other hand, provoking Syo. He clenched his fists, fighting the urge to kill him on the spot. But this was Syo, and fighting urges weren't his thing, when he knew he wouldn't win against it.

"BET THIS WILL!" Syo charged at Saizo, fist aiming at his face. Then, the blonde suddenly saw him put on a devilish smile, staying completely still. His fist was about to meet with his mask, when Syo suddenly changed his course and he punched Saizo's neck.

Surprised, Saizo smacked his head on his throne, his head and neck throbbing. for a moment, his grip loosened on Haruka. And at that moment, Haruka strained for her escape, and wriggled herself out. Syo sighed in relief for barely even a second before he felt his retreating arm being held tight. Then, it twisted, making him cry out. "D*mit, _argh!"_

"S-Stop, don't hurt S-Syo-kun!" Haruka sputtered in alarm and fear, her voice barely audible through the painful cries of Syo.

"You, shut up," Saizo said, as he moved pulled out his knife and threw.

And then it happened. Everything seemed slow, like the clock's second hand was slowing down. _Tick...tock..._

It happened so quickly, it didn't even feel real. In one second, there was blood on the floor. Whose blood was that...?

Syo didn't have to think.

The tears just came to the shocked blonde.

_Blood_.

The smell of copper _blood_.

The sight of red _blood_.

The smell and sight of none other than _Nanami's_ blood.

Syo didn't want to look as her body fell on the ground, laying limp. Yet Saizo was more than sick enough to force Syo's head to jerk at Haruka's body, forcing his eyes to stay open. Saizo was laughing maniacally all the way.

But Syo didn't hear his painful laughs. The only thing he heard were the memories and voice of Nanami flying through his stricken brain, one by one.

He forced his eyes shut.

Nanami was lying on the ground. Her throat was cut open, blood pooling out onto the ground. There was no sign of life left in the body...being a soulless body.

Saizo had finally released his death grip, and so Syo felt limp and fell on his knees. _I failed_, was what he thought. _Nanami died. __She's gone. __Dead._

Syo's tears couldn't stop falling. _I couldn't protect her._

The knife was on the ground, as guiltily bloody as Nanami's blood. Glancing at the dark, red liquid, Syo felt himself start to shake violently. He said her name over and over again. "Nanami...Nanami...Nanami...! NANAMI, DON'T DIE, BAKKA (idiot)!"

"How do you like that, Kurusu Syo?" Saizo snickered at Syo's defeated look plastered on his face.

_Saizo killed Nanami._ Those were the blonde's thoughts. Gathering up the most of his strength possible to muster, Syo hurled a punch at the masked man right on the jaw, and he was caught off guard.

"D*n you...I'll teach you not to mess with me!" Saizo grabbed the knife next to Nanami. Twirling it, he pinned the short shota on the ground, beside Haruka. His blonde locks were soaked red from her blood.

"Now, what to do? What shall your punishment be?" hummed Saizo. He began to run the blade of the knife on Syo's face, creating a small red wound. It trailed down to his neck, then...

"How about...HERE!"

Syo felt a sharp pain surge through his body, with blood was gushing out of his right shoulder. _His_ blood.

He screamed with utter agony.

"Muahaha! You like that? Then how about HERE!" Even with the bright light of the room, Syo saw the glint in Saizo's eyes, and in them were maniacal amusement. Then, the knife was aimed at Syo's heart.

He felt like it was all over. There was not a thing he could do under his weak strength, with Haruka's corpse right beside him. He supposed that...he should just let fate take its toll, if this was what he was destined for. To die at this young age, with Haruka beside him...

_Well then_, Syo thought, _at least through all of this, my death would cause me to see Nanami again. And kamisama..._

Then, a bright light appeared out of nowhere, not that the gold walls weren't blinding enough. Syo opened his eyes, and saw...Haruka. Ivory wings adorned her back, with an angelic feathery white dress on her, and it all looked transparent. Syo squinted his eyes.

She smiled at her friend kindly and assuringly, and somehow managed to grab Saizo's arm, preventing him from stabbing Syo's heart.

"W-What is this? I can't move my arm!" Saizo shouted. He stubbornly tried to move, but Nanami was surprisingly strong, holding her iron grip.

"Nanami...! Nanami! I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!" Syo cried, still sobbing away. He failed to protect her, yet she still helped him live. He shouted in his mind, _How can she be so kind to me?!_

Then, something bright and sparkly surrounded him. The last things seen through blue eyes were Nanami's dead, bloody body, Angel Nanami's forgiving smile, and Saizo thrashing wildly around, trying to move.

Suddenly, Syo disappeared, ending back in the Master Course dorms. But he returned with his head drenched with sweat and a mixture of Haruka's and his own blood, his right shoulder looking like gravity pulled it harder than his left, and his expression _pissed_ out of his mind.

He wanted to return victorious, but failed. The memory of Nanami's death replayed over and over in his mind. Syo was there, yet...he couldn't protect her!

Then, his shoulder, as he noticed, was completely numb. Perhaps it was broken, worse unusable! Yet his thoughts were selfless, as he thought about how his bloody arm was nothing compared to what Haruka had went though. She went through _death._

"Syo...chan..." Natsuki walked up to Syo slowly. He couldn't believe his eyes! Were his glasses fogged up, or was the sight of blood no mirage? "Your shoulder...UWAH! We need to take you to the doctor right away!"

Syo hadn't uttered a single word, even when he collapsed and it was all dark for him. The last words he heard were, "HANG IN THERE, SYO-CHAAAAAN!"

Before he knew it, Syo had woken up in a hospital bed, in a hospital. His arm was wrapped and bandaged, his cheek stitched with medical thread, and his hair dried off of Haruka's blood. Before him were STARISH, but no Haruka.

Syo didn't say anything because he hadn't known what to say.

There was nothing to share, since it'd just hurt them if they'd known what happened to him. Perhaps Ittoki would understand, since he had gone through something with Haruka, though Syo knew he was hiding something behind those red eyes and pained expression. Even though, he didn't see Haruka freaking _die_ before him! So no, _he'd_ never understand either!

As would the rest of them. So Syo didn't care anymore.

"Hey, Otoya," Syo finally spoke, surprising the others. Especially Ittoki. "What are you hiding...?"

Ittoki's eyes widened. "W-What?"

"...What really happened...between you and Nanami...when you were first...?"

Eyes turned to the redhead, whose face turned red for some reason. It gave it away, STARISH was wondering what Ittoki was hiding. "W-Wh...What about you, Syo?" Ittoki turned the tables back to Syo, who had closed his eyes.

He was hoping, holding on to hope, as if that was all he had.

Without Haruka, Syo didn't know if there was any other source of happiness for him. Music would just be the dullest, and shopping for cool stuff would just be barely a blur.

It would never be the same for STARISH. It wouldn't be the same for QUARTET NIGHT, heck, for the Shining Agency! STARISH would be no competition for HEAVENS, or the Raging Agency either, and the Happy Pulse wouldn't come for another decade, maybe even centuries!

Haruka was important. That was the only thing supporting Syo, as he hoped. Before, he had hoped it was all a dream.

However, when reality had struck him...he was left with hope in the others, that they'd bring back their composer: Nanami Haruka. Someday...

He knew it in his beating heart.

* * *

**Mia: Aw...Sorry, you have gotten the bad ending! "One Beating Heart, One Smitten Soul."**

**Though I was hoping you'd pick this one, not because I don't like Syo (because I LOVE him), but because I would have NO idea what to write if you'd chosen the other one. **

**Okay, I do have a few, but they'd suck and I'd get tomatoes being thrown at me through the computer. Who wants magical computer tomatoes? Well I've had some, and they taste like those really disgusting I-don't-even-know-what-color-this-is medicine. Or Natsuki's cookies. XD**

**So...who's next? Hum hum...oh yes!**

**Tokiya's chapter is coming next! So stay tuned, it'll be posted up probably next week nya~! :D**


	6. Ichinose Tokiya

**Mythia: So, here's the chapter with Ichinose Tokiya! Threya Midnight can't sit still, being all, "TOKIYA~ I NEED HIS CHAPPIE OR I MIGHT DIE."**

**Btw, I just had a wonderful vacation to the 4th most haunted place in the US. Awesome, right? :D**

**And here I thought that Key West, FL was a tropical place! Turns out, there's drinking bars everywhere, bad parking spaces that charge you, LOADS of historical houses they didn't bother turning down, and the beaches aren't even real! Wth? The sand was freaking imported!**

**So yeah, enjoy! :)**

* * *

The boys of STARISH refused to go back to the past until Syo explained what happened. Though, Syo stayed silent for a while, as if he had no voice. After a few days passed, he spoke to Natsuki while he was watching over him.

"...Na-Natsuki." Syo's voice was shaky, and his breath was quick, as if he ran to him from a mile away.

Natsuki, who was doing a Piyo-chan puppet show for Syo (in his little own world), looked up, surprised. "Syo-chan! Are you alright?" Natsuki asked right away.

Syo hesitated, intaking heavy breaths. "...Y-Yeah."

Natsuki gave him a soft expression. "You don't have to force yourself to tell us, Syo-chan. Take all of the time you need," he spoke slowly and comfortably, as if Syo couldn't understand him if he spoke too fast.

Syo looked at him with a grateful expression, but then shook his head. "I've kept everyone waiting for too long. We need to save Nanami no matter what it takes," Syo said with a sad look on his face.

Natsuki nodded quietly hearing this, though he was still worried for what was about to come. After all, Ittoki came back flushed, as if he was being burned in a fire. Syo appeared with his shoulder stabbed and his head bleeding, as if he was in a knife fight. It just...it just seemed like their lives really _were_ at stake to him. He was scared of death. He was scared of his friend's deaths.

But most of all, he was scared that he would lose Haruka forever.

Haruka was dead, and that's a fact. However, Natsuki had three chances to save her, thanks to Cecil and the muses. And the grace of God for allowing such, watching as He wanted to see how far His creation would go for love and heroism.

Syo coughed, and cleared his throat. "Well, it all began when I was back in the past, on May 31st. Nanami's...d-death day," he explained, a pained expression on his face as he remembered everything that happened then.

He explained it all to Natsuki, and eventually broke out into tears. And yes, he knew how unmanly it was, but no one judged him.

"Thank you for telling me everything Syo-chan," Natsuki said softly, comforting the small male by hugging him and patting his back. "Even though those memories are so painful, you still shared them with me...really, thank you Syo-chan."

Syo cried into Natsuki's shirt, but he didn't mind. He continued to let Syo let out all of the pain he experienced by allowing him to let the tears flow. Sometimes, tears made someone stronger. After all, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?

The next day, Natsuki explained everything to the rest of the members of STARISH. He said, "Syo-chan told me yesterday that there was a man named Master Saizo!"

Masato frowned, nearly passing as a scowl. A very formal scowl. "So our suspicions about this 'Saizo' man was correct," he mumbled, but it wasn't unheard. In fact, they all heard it and ran silent for a few seconds.

"Uhm, he was wearing a golden mask and he was in a room made of gold," Natsuki continued hesitantly. "He kissed Haru-chan and then said that he was done with her and took out a knife. He used the knife to..."

He explained the entire story, leaving nothing out. They all pitied Haruka and Syo, and their blood boiled at Saizo and his dirty tricks. They could see just from Natsuki's description the mask, the slasher grin, the wicked eyes through the gold mask.

Though, Ittoki felt especially guilty. He got to kiss Haruka, and hug her. Syo...well, Syo came back bloody, didn't he?

He felt guilty as hell indeed.

"And that's everything Syo-chan told me!" Natsuki finished.

"...Now I understand why Syo didn't want to talk for a while..." Ittoki actually managed to find his voice through this tragedy they were living in. It didn't even feel real to them, yet there they were, STARIH without the second S...

...and definitely without Nanami.

Yet Ittoki completely understood one thing, and it didn't lift his hopes up. Despite how great his last moments with his composer was, he felt completely useless. He still couldn't prevent her woeful death, shame on him he felt.

"So, now everyone knows what to do if you go on the exact same day and time as Kurusu, right?" Cecil asked.

Everyone nodded their heads. "So, now who wants to go next?"

No one said a thing at this.

Cecil frowned. "No volunteers? None at all...?" Well, he knew he couldn't blame any of them. He didn't want to volunteer, after seeing what happened to the ones that already went.

Then, an unexpected hand raised up slowly. They all turned to the former HAYATO, with his navy blue hair and somber eyes.

"I'll go."

"Oh? Icchi has the guts to volunteer?" Ren teased him.

Tokiya shot him an annoyed look and then nodded at Cecil, muttering, "Why are you picking on me when you weren't going to stand up anytime soon? Unlike you, I'd like Nanami-san alive now, and I'm not going to let fear keep me from it."

"Tokiya...gambatte (do your best)!" Otoya smiled at Tokiya pitifully. Tokiya just looked away, sighing.

"Come, Ichinose," Cecil said, gesturing him to stand in front of him. Tokiya was very nervous, he didn't know what day he would be transported to, nor what he was supposed to do to help Nanami. He stepped in front of Cecil. Cecil began chanting the magic words.

"Enchanto Time!" Cecil said, his necklace shining brightly as ever. The muses' powers enveloped Tokiya in a blinding light, and in a blink of an eye, he was gone.

"May the blessings of the muses and kami-sama be with him," Cecil said, placing the necklace under his shirt. Everyone nodded and left the room.

* * *

After the bright light faded away, Tokiya found himself on the crowded streets of the city.

He was wearing his disguise. _What was I doing here again? _he wondered, thinking for a moment. _...Oh, I was out buying a gift for Nanami-san to repay her for the food she gave me while I was writing my song._

That meant today was May 30, one day before her death. Checking the time on his watch, Tokiya found that it was 7:32 PM, and he remembered that he stayed out until around 10:30.

_Where was Nanami-san now?_ Tokiya immediately tried to call Nanami, and was waiting for a while for her to pick up. However, like I said, it was a while. So when he was about to end the call, a quiet, meek voice spoke.

"H-H-Hello?" Haruka's voice was surprisingly shaking, making him wonder where she was. Was she somewhere cold? Or was she somewhere suspicious...?

Despite that, Tokiya felt the strange sensation once again come at Haruka's voice. His heartbeat quickened, and his throat constricted inside. "...Nanami-san? Where are you?" he forcibly urged.

"I-I...I'm at...mmph!" She got cut off. Tokiya widened his eyes at the sound of a moan escaping her lips on the other line.

"N-Nanami-san?!" He was blushing. _Wait a minute...don't tell me this is Saizo...! _His expression ran alarmed.

"I-I can't t-tell you, Ichinose-san...S-Sorry!" I heard her shriek, and then she hung up. Tokiya swore he heard kissing noises. It sounded like a make out, and he knew he couldn't tell himself otherwise.

He decided that the warehouse was his best bet, since that's where Natsuki said that Syo saw this Saizo there, kissing Haruka and making her moan. _Unforgivable, that b*stard, _he thought to himself angrily.

He found his car and drove through the dark streets. The houses were indeed all abandoned—so were the cars. It felt like a haunted street for a horror movie. I'm sure you can picture that in your head, with the bare dull trees around with creepy faces morphed on the bark, and the unleveled dark grass around the small fences with its white paint chipping off and all that.

At last, he found his way to the warehouse, and parked far away from it. As he neared the destination he had to assume it'd be, he hesitated. It was cold, there was no one around...should he call the police? Some backup, of some sort?

Though...they'd probably think of him as some dumb prankcalling teenager that had no sense of seriousness. And Tokiya was all about seriousness, even when he was being ridiculous.

So he stepped right inside, into the darkness that seemed like it'd fall apart quickly. The first thing that reacted was his sense of smell. _It's so foul in here_, he thought in disgust, wrinkling his nose. But he quickly disregarded that thought, because that was nothing compared to the crowding thoughts of Haruka in his mind.

Then, his next thought was wondering if Natsuki was right about the 'everything was made of gold' part. It could've been an illusion of the eyes, where instead everything was painted a gold color. A distracting bright annoying shade of gold, must he add.

His eyes locked on the small door. If everything really _was_ made of gold on the other side, Tokiya was critically wondering where Saizo had gotten it from. Most likely he stole it, from someplace because of how sick and insane he must've been. Even as he was about to open that door.

The door creaked slightly as he opened it slowly, allowing only a small crack. Listening for any noises, he heard none. Tokiya blinked at this, but his brows hastily narrowed in suspicion.

He waited for a few more minutes. Still, no sound emitted from the gold room.

Then, looking at the light already trying to escape through the crack, Tokiya had lost his patience and swung the door open. He closed the door behind him, and just by looking at it, he knew that everything really was made out of gold.

The first thing he saw was the golden throne perched on the top of a golden stage-like platform, with a crown arrogantly on the side of the stupid chair. On the side, he noticed and spotted many gold weapons.

Tokiya spoke of them aloud carefully. "Swords, axes, hammers, bows and arrows..." Beside them were a variety of shields.

One of the shields were made of a thin piece of gold, considerably light and durable for close-combat, or for when someone throws a punch. Then, there was a yellow-colored, but noticeably not gold shield, that was very heavy but not impossible to lift. "What is this made of?" Tokiya's eyes widened slightly. "...Is this—"

The door slammed open suddenly, and a man with a gold mask stepped in with a struggling Nanami in his arms. Seeing Tokiya made him laugh like a madman. "Ooh, an uninvited guest from STARISH, I presume? What a wonderful surprise!" chortled Master Saizo.

Tokiya's eyes narrowed to slits, glaring at the masked man like death itself. Nanami's eyes were like a frightened puppy—no, like a petrified kitten that was being thrown into a wild river with jagged rocks and I don't know, piranhas in them!? She was scared to death!

The navyhead's thoughts had to snap at more maniacal laughter. "Sorry, but, since you found our secret hideout, you must die~!" Master Saizo pulled out a gun and pointed towards Tokiya.

"NO!" Nanami screamed in horror, thrashing around wildly.

"Nanami-san, I'll be alright! Please, _don't worry!_" Tokiya was secretly more afraid than he had ever been in his entire life. This was a matter of life and death, and there he was, frozen and fazed on what to do. It was unlike himself, where his thoughts would, or should be sharp and rapidly thinking.

"Oh? I think she _should_ worry because you're dead now~!" And Saizo placed his finger on the trigger of the gun.

He was about to fire.

Then, it was like his mind was completely blank. On either side of him, there were the shields. One gold, thin, and easy to carry, whereas the other heavy and yellow, but not gold.

Everything seemed slow. The bullet racing towards him was almost purposely moving slowly for him to make a choice.

_Which one should I use!?_ Tokiya shouted in his mind. _What'll get me to freaking live?!_

* * *

***PLEASE READ!**

**Mythia: Well, there you have it! My twin sister Sia wrote a few of these sentences because I had trouble writing these days. My mind is so blank because I'm struggling to write my Heart no Kuni no Alice OC fanfic, 'The Foreigners of Wonderland.' There are 13 OCs, and there might be more. Thus, it's natural for me to see a bunch of rainbows in the sky...right? (My sister says there's no rainbow, but I told her that she was a big fat liar because I saw twenty of them)**

***So anyway, here are the choices! Ichinose Tokiya could either:**

**A) Use the _thin_ gold shield to protect him from the bullet**

**OR**

**B) Use the _heavy_ NOT gold but yellow shield to protect him from the bullet**

**Think about this. Read between the lines, or the ones in _italics_. And ALL CAPS.**

**Please vote in your** **review!**

******Off to playing Final Fantasy XIII! Ciao nya~! *dies against giant Sanctum enemy flying thingamajigger that just exploded my companions***


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